


Katastrophe

by KatKeller



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Clint Barton & Natasha Romanov Friendship, Clint Barton Is a Good Bro, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Falling In Love, Friendship/Love, Hurt/Comfort, Jealous Steve Rogers, Love Confessions, Misunderstandings, Origin Story, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Steve Rogers, Romance, Slow Burn, Superheroes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-19
Updated: 2019-08-24
Packaged: 2020-09-07 12:09:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20309263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatKeller/pseuds/KatKeller
Summary: A girl found alone and surrounded by dead bodies gets taken in by Earths Mightiest Heroes.





	1. A New Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me?  
Instagram: superlokinatural

“Miss Keller?”

The voice was quiet, almost timid as the speaker slowly approached her. She could hear his light footsteps coming around to her right until she could see him in her peripheral. The ground was hard under her knees, she didn’t care though. How could she?

“Katherine?” The voice was closer now. If she reached out, she would probably be able to touch him. 

She couldn’t reach out though. Her arms were wrapped around the limp body of the only person that cared about her in this world. She couldn’t let him go. His blood had soaked through her shirt. She could feel it, drying and cold on her skin. How long had she been knelt here?

The body belonging to the voice was now crouching next to her. “Katherine, my name is Clint Barton. We’re here to help you.”

We? She could hear them now, more bodies lining up behind her. She could feel their stares, their guns pointed at her back, just waiting for her to make a move. She couldn’t blame them, she was a murderer.

She looked at him now, eyes unfocused and tears threatening to fall down her pale cheeks. “I didn’t mean to.” She finally whispered.

The stranger, Clint, looked at her with sympathy as he slowly reached out and put his hand on her shoulder. “I know, kiddo.” He looked down at the body wrapped up in her arms. “This wasn’t your fault Katherine. Come with us, and we can help you.”

Her grip tightened around him as her whole body tensed. Clint was fast to try and calm the girls nerves. “We’ll take him in a different car, get you both cleaned up. We’re not taking him away from you, I promise.”

His voice sounded sincere, and she searched his face for any sign of a lie. When she couldn’t find one she looked back down at the body in her arms, at the face of the man that had protected her over the past eight years. She leant down and gave him a small kiss to his forehead, before carefully laying his body down on the ground. 

She looked back at Clint and he held his hand out towards her. She reached out and let him gently pull her onto her feet. “There’s a car over there.” He nodded to a spot behind her. “It’s going to take us somewhere safe. I’ll stay with you, every step of the way.”

She gave him a small nod and he gently took her forearm, turning her towards the black SUV that was going to take her away. He walked her out of the shallow crater she had been sitting in, and she tried to avoid looking at the bodies that were strewn around the area. All of them were twisted and contorted in ways that made some of the armed soldiers tighten their grips on the guns they held as she walked closer.  _ “Murderer.”  _ Her mind screamed.

Clint opened the door and helped her up into the car, making sure she was strapped in before walking around and getting in next to her. “You’re going to be ok.” He reassured her. The car started moving and she closed her eyes, hoping that he was right.

* * *

  
She’d so far been led to a small, all-white bedroom with an en suite, given some toiletries, towels and a change of clothes and told to shower. She’d washed herself clean from the blood and grime that had coated her skin and dried off, dressing in the white t-shirt and baggy pants they had given her. Now she was sitting on the bed with her back against the wall, staring at a spot on the floor and waiting for Clint to return, like he promised he would.

She didn’t know how long she sat there, wrapped up in her own thoughts.  _ “What’s going to happen to me? Are they going to kill me?”  _ She decided she would be ok with that, the thought didn’t scare her as much anymore and she’d even started making her peace with the idea. But then her mind shifted to another train of thought, and she cursed herself for not thinking of it sooner;  _ “Are they going to use me to hurt people?”  _

Suddenly there was beeping from outside the room, and the door opened, revealing a smiling Clint, holding a tray of food. “Hey kid, can I come in?” She noted that he was waiting for her response before entering, so she gave him a small nod and he finally crossed the threshold, setting the food down on a small desk on the adjoining wall. He pulled the chair out so it stood opposite her place on the bed and sat down. “I just want to reassure you that you’re safe here Katherine. We want to help you.”

She looked down at her hands. Did she deserve help? As if reading her mind Clint spoke up again. “Why don’t you tell me what happened? That way can decide together on what you need.”

“They killed him.” She said quietly. “They shot him, and I panicked.” She looked up at him suddenly, eyes pleading and tears streaming down her face. “I didn’t mean to hurt anyone. But there was so much blood, and I- I couldn’t stop it.” She started sobbing, bringing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around herself.

Clint had to stop himself from reaching over and trying to comfort her. “Who was he?” He asked her slowly. “The man you were with.” 

She could only shake her head as her sobs continued to rack her body. “Fuck it.” Clint muttered under his breath. He got up from his seat and practically jumped onto the bed next to her, wrapping her up in his arms and she continued to cry into his chest. He ran his hands up and down her back soothingly, trying to reassure her.

“You’re going to be ok, kid. I promise.”


	2. An Explanation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's get to know our girl.

It had been three days. Three days and she hadn’t said a word. Clint had visited her as often as he could, bringing her food and just sitting with her. But today was going to be different, and it certainly wasn’t going to be easy. 

He knocked on her door before he opened it to let her know he was here before entering. “Hey kid.” She was laid on the bed, looking at him from under the covers. “How are we doing today.”

She sat up slowly and for the first time since their first talk, met his gaze. “I’d like to see him.” She said softly. “I- I need to say goodbye to him.”

Clint nodded in understanding. “Okay. I’ll go tell them you’re ready.” He turned to leave but paused, looking back at her. “Why don’t you join us for dinner tonight? Get you out of this room for a while, what do you think?”

She regarded him for a moment before giving him a single nod.

With one last smile Clint left the room, closing the door behind him. Walking to the elevators he rubbed a hand over his face, tiredness showing on his features. The late nights, trying to work out where the girl had come from and why no one had heard about her before, was really starting to take its toll on him. He got into the elevator and took it up to the floor that housed the Avengers’ living quarters.

The doors opened and he stepped out, walking over to the sofas where Steve, Natasha and Tony sat. “So, we’ve made some progress.” Clint told them, practically falling onto the sofa beside Natasha. 

“She talk to you?” Steve asked, leaning forward in his seat.

“Yep. She wants to see the guy that got brought in with her. She also agreed to have dinner with us.” Clint told them.

“Do we know anything about either of them yet?” Tony asked, looking over at Natasha.

“We’ve done facial scans of the girl and DNA tests of the guy.” Nat told them, “All we know is their names and that she’s an orphan. We’ve got no records of them owning any properties anywhere, so my guess is that they’re homeless.”

“Were they related?” Steve frowned.

“Nope.” She told him, “They must have just struck up a friendship.”

“Well then.” Tony announced, slapping his knees before standing. “Romanoff, go let Banner know so he can get everything ready for her. Clint you can take her down there and see if she’s willing to answer anymore questions.”

“And what are you doing?” Nat asked, raising a perfect brow, 

“I’m going to organise a nice welcome dinner for our guest.” He smiled, sauntering out of the room. 

“You mind if I tag along?” Steve looked at Clint. “Just in case.” He added.

“Sure. Just remember, this girl has been through a lot and it’s taken this long to get her to start talking. Don’t push her too hard.”

“Understood.” Steve agreed.

* * *

A message from Bruce gave them the go ahead to make their way down to the underground levels of the compound where their new occupant resided. Both men spent the elevator ride in silence, each of them trying to guess how the next hour was going to go. 

The doors opened and Clint lead the way down a sterile white looking hallway to a door at the end. He held his hand up for Steve to wait and lightly knocked on the door. “Kid, it’s me. I’m coming in.” He slowly opened the door and found her stood in the middle of the floor watching him, picking at a loose thread on her sleeve.

“You ready to go?” He asked, giving her a small smile.

She gave him a short nod but didn’t return the smile. Clint stepped to the side to allow her to leave the room and she walked carefully towards the door. As she stepped into the hall she was met by another man that she recognised. She felt her shoulders relax as she finally had the confirmation that she needed to let her know she was safe. 

She looked up at Captain America who also gave her a small smile, and this time she did return it. With an Avenger on either side, she was escorted to an upper floor in silence. She could practically feel the tension coming from the two men, vibrating off the walls of the elevator. 

She was walked down another hallway, this one lined with windows that gave a spectacular view over fields and trees, and was stopped in front of a set of double doors by a hand on her shoulder. “Kid.” Clint said softly. “We’re going to wait out here for you. Don’t feel you have to rush, you take as long as you need.” 

“Thank you.” She said quietly, turning to give them a small smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. She looked at doors and took a couple of breaths before pushing one of them open and stepping into the room.

The door swung shut behind her and silence crept in. Her eyes were fixed on the body in the centre of the room, the body of the man that had looked after her since she was thirteen. She approached the table and looked down at his face, taking in his features for what she realised would be the last time. 

Tears started to pool in her eyes as she brought a hand up to cup his cheek. “I’m sorry, Ben. I’m sorry that I couldn’t help you, after everything you’ve done for me. I’m so, so sorry.” She leant down and pressed her forehead to his, before pulling back to kiss it softly. 

She sat with him in silence. She wanted to take in his features one last time, terrified that she’d forget what he looked like. She had no pictures of him, and neither of them had any belongings but the clothes on their backs. The latter thought caused a lump to build up in her throat. The only thing she’d had in the world for the past eight years was Ben, and she’d been ok with that because she’d always felt safe. Now, she realised she had nothing left. No possessions, no friends, no  _ family _ . If she wasn’t locked up she was going to be thrown back out into the world on her own, and the thought created a hole in the pit of her stomach as she began to cry again. 

The feeling that she was being selfish started to wash over her, as she remembered why she was standing in this room to begin with. She had to be strong, for Ben and for herself. He died protecting her, and she sure as hell wasn’t going to throw away the second chance he gave her. She wiped her eyes and stood up a little straighter, “Thank you, Ben. I love you.” She whispered.

She walked backwards to get one last look at him, before turning and taking the last few steps towards the door. She took a deep breath to compose herself and pulled it open and walked into the corridor. 

Clint and Steve stood a couple of feet away, having a whispered conversation that came to a sudden halt when they heard the door shut behind her. Clint walked towards her and, after taking in her pained expression, pulled her into a tight embrace. She looked over his shoulder and was met by the kind blue eyes of Captain America, sympathy written all over his face. She felt her cheeks start to heat up under his gaze, so she closed her eyes and focused on the hug instead.

Clint pulled away and looked down at her. “Are you going to be ok?” 

She bit her lip and looked up at him, “I honestly don’t know. I’m going to have to get used to being alone now.”

Steve frowned at her. “You’re not going to be alone. You’ve got the Avengers now.”

She stared at him in confusion. “What?”

“Wow Cap, talk about tactful.” 

Steve looked down bashfully and rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, sorry.”

Clint rolled his eyes and looked back at Katherine. “We were going to ask if you’d like to stay here with us. Maybe get a better grip on whatever it is you can do.”

“I- I thought you’d be sending me to some military prison or something.” She said quietly.

“I told you.” Clint smiled. “We want to help. Can’t do that if you’re in a prison cell.” 

She looked down at her shoes and let a small smile creep onto her face, she had a long way to go before she fully trusted these people, but at least she wasn’t completely alone in this world. “Thank you.” She told them, looking back up.

“Can I ask you something?” Steve said, a seriousness in his voice that wasn’t there earlier.

“O- Ok.” 

“The man in there, who is he?” Steve’s voice was gentle, but the serious tone was still there. She didn’t want to relive the past few days, but after what they’d just told her, she felt she owed them some answers.

She took a couple breaths before she was able to answer. “His name is...was, Ben. I met him when I ended up on the streets and he sort of became my guardian. He’s been looking after me since I was a kid.” She wrapped her arms around herself, “He was a good guy, he didn’t deserve any of the shit that life threw at him.”

“Ok.” Steve said with finality. Her answer seemed to resolve some tension that she didn’t realise was there. Although, thinking about it she thought she could guess; a middle-aged man, living on the streets with a young girl he wasn’t related to tended to raise some eyebrows.

Steve gestured to the elevators and they made their way back over. “So, Katherine.” Steve started, “The plan is we’re going to set you up in your own room in the Avengers living quarters. We managed to get you some clothes that are waiting for you upstairs, and Natasha and Wanda are going to take you shopping at some point this week, so you can pick out something you’d like.”

“Sounds like you’re pretty organised.” She responded.

Steve smiled down at her, “It’s all on your schedule though. We only do something when you feel ready.”

She nodded in response to that and the group fell back into silence. It wasn’t until the elevator doors opened again on the Avengers’ floor that she decided to break it. “Kat.”

The men both looked at her, confusion evident on their faces. She gave them a sheepish smile, “You’ve been calling me Katherine. I prefer Kat.”

Clint patted her shoulder, “Ok then, Kat it is.”

The men led her through a communal living area and Kat could see a kitchen at one end of the large room where a man with long brown brown hair was sat at a breakfast bar, sipping something from a mug and staring at her.

He seemed to be assessing her, looking for something in the way she held herself that would give away what kind of person she was. Steve seemed to notice Kat’s attention had wandered and followed her eye line. “Buck, why don’t you come say hi to Kat?” He prompted.

Bucky stood from his seat and placed his mug on the counter before making his way over. Kat tried not to react when he extended a metal arm out towards her. “James Barnes, but everyone calls me Bucky.” 

Kat’s eyes widened as she realised who she was talking to. “You were in the Howling Commandos.”

Bucky’s face split into a grin as he looked down at her. “Congratulations, you’re now my favourite.”

Kat looked up at Steve in confusion, hoping he could give some context to his friend’s reaction, but his expression just mirrored Bucky’s. Clint smirked and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, “I’m going to take her to see her new room. You two can carry on creepily smiling at each other.” 

When they were far enough away Kat leaned in closer to Clint, “What was that about?” She whispered.

“You’re the first person outside of the group that he’s spoken to that remembered him as a Howling Commando, and not from being the Winter Soldier.”

“I didn’t even realise they were the same person. I didn’t really get much of a chance to keep up with the news, I just caught the odd headline.” She admitted.

“Doesn’t matter. You still made an old man very happy.”

Kat pulled a face, “Well that just sounds wrong.”

Clint let out a low chuckle, leading her through a door and into a hallway with three doors and another elevator at the end. “These are the bedrooms, this floor is myself, Nat and Wanda. The second floor is Bruce, Sam and Bucky. You’re on floor three with Cap.”

Kat gave a small nod, taking in the information. “Thank you.” She said quietly, as they called the elevator.

“Yeah, well, after Wanda and Bucky I’d say we’re kind of getting a reputation for taking in people who need a helping hand.” He told her.

The elevator doors opened and they both stepped inside. Clint thumbed the button for the third floor and they fell into a comfortable silence. When the doors open Clint walked her to the door furthest away and stepped back, letting Kat be the one to open it. “This is you kiddo.” He smiled.

She pushed the door open and couldn’t stop her jaw from dropping. This wasn’t just a little room with a bed; it had a comfortable looking living area, a kitchenette in the corner and an archway that led into a bedroom to the right. She slowly stepped in and looked around, “This is mine?” She whispered. 

Clint stood leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed and a smile on his face. “Yep. Wait until you get to the bedroom. Tony can be a pain in the ass, but damn those mattresses are comfy.”

Kat’s eyes widened and she felt herself smile before bounding towards the bedroom and practically throwing herself onto the bed. “Holy shit!” she exclaimed, feeling her body sink into the soft blanket. She heard Clint’s laugh from the other room as she spied another door on the other side of the bedroom. Climbing off the bed she walked over and opened the door, revealing the sleekest looking bathroom she’d ever seen. A large shower with glass walls stood in one corner, a deep corner bath sat in the other, and there was a large vanity with a huge lit mirror lining one of the walls.

“Those baths have got some hardcore jets.” Came Clint’s voice behind her, making her jump. “Sorry.” He smiled, “Didn’t mean to startle you.”

“It’s ok.” She breathed. “I just can’t believe I’m staying here. I’ve never had anything like this before.” 

Clint put a hand on her shoulder. “Well get used to it kiddo.” He stepped back so she could leave the bathroom and walked with her back to the living area. “I’m going to leave you to settle in. Nat and Wanda sent up some of their old clothes, you can keep whatever fits. Dinner is at seven back in the main area. I wouldn’t recommend coming late though, you don’t want to come between two super soldiers and a hot meal.” He gave her a final smile and left, shutting the door carefully behind him.

Kat stood in the middle of the room and let the silence wash over her. Perching on the edge of the sofa she wrapped her arms around herself and felt hot tears start to prick at the back of her eyes. Everything from the past few days started to creep up on her, and for the first time in a long time Kat let herself break down.


End file.
